For those of you that don’t know me, I’m Emma, the 16-year-old blogger behind Fruits and Routes. I’d been following Beth for a while before I had the courage to start up my own blog, and so was delighted when Beth agreed to do a collaboration with me. Don’t forget to head over to my blog to have a browse of my other content if you’re interested!

I can still vividly remember the first time I ever tried banoffee pie. My brother had made one as part of a cooking course at his school and brought it back home for us to try. Let me just say that it was one of the best things he ever introduced to my life – the heavenly layers of biscuity base, indulgent dulce de leche (caramel), sliced banana coins and pillowy whipped cream worked together harmoniously and it soon became one of my all-time favourite desserts. I’m pretty sure we made three within the space of a month after discovering it!

Look how pillowy the coconut cream topping is!

Unfortunately, banoffee pie isn’t the healthiest of desserts, although my Dad still thinks it’s pretty healthy because of the fact that it has bananas 😉 I do still enjoy a good slice of the original banoffee pie from time to time, because I believe in everything in moderation and couldn’t deprive myself of something this good, however here I’ve created a gluten-free version because Beth is a coeliac, which is fruit-sweetened and also vegan so lots of you can enjoy a healthier version of the classic (although it looks and tastes pretty similar to the original).

My favourite layer is definitely, without a doubt the caramel one. I have a secret love-affair with caramel (don’t tell anyone!) and it might even be higher up on my list than chocolate, although that’s a risky statement so don’t hold me on that one. For this reason, it’s the thickest layer, so that I can pay homage to my caramel addiction, but if you don’t enjoy caramel is much as I do (I mean why wouldn’t you?) then feel free to reduce the quantities slightly… however I don’t recommend doing it. Just don’t.

(Is the caramel layer thick enough for you?)

Lastly, please don’t get put out by the hefty ingredient list; quite a few are repeated, and the whole recipe is pretty quick from start to finish, so it really doesn’t have to be a “whole-day” type of dessert – it took me about 1 hour from start to finish, plus extra chilling time afterwards. The reason why you have to refrigerate the tins of coconut milk upside down is so that the cream will be at the bottom when you flip over and open the cans, allowing you to drain of the coconut water – which you can store in a jar in the fridge to use in porridge – and get the most coconut cream possible. I forgot to do this the first time and ran out of cream!

Topping:
-2x 400ml tins full fat coconut milk, refrigerated upside down (important!) overnight
-50ml chickpea aquafaba (the liquid left over in the can after removing the chickpeas)
-1 vanilla pod
-Optional chocolate to grate on top (raw/ dark/ whatever you have really!)

Method

Start by making your date paste. Simply place the dates (soaked and drained if necessary) in your food processor and blend until you get a thick, clumpy mixture which will probably still contain medium-sized chunks of date. This is ok, and scrape it into a bowl to set aside while you make the base.

Pulse the peanuts, oats and coconut in the food processor (no need to wash) for roughly 30s, or until you get a mixture which is mostly broken down and bread-crumb like in texture, then add the remaining ingredients for the base using the date paste made in the previous step and blend together until the mixture starts to come together. This may take up to 2-3 minutes depending on your food processor, so keep scraping down and ensuring everything is blended evenly. Pour this into a lightly greased loose-bottomed tart tin (mine was 23cm) and use your hands to press it down firmly into the tin so it doesn’t turn out crumbly, then put it in the freezer for 10 minutes while you make the filling.

Place all the ingredients for the date caramel filling in your food processor apart from the water, using the rest of the chunky date paste made earlier, and blend until smooth, gradually adding the water as you go. If you need a little more/ less water then adjust the volume to get your perfectly thick, smooth and creamy filling!

Take the base out of the freezer and spread the date filling on top so that it forms an even layer, followed by topping with the sliced banana coins. Store in the fridge while making the topping.

For the whipped coconut cream, you want to take your tins of coconut milk out of the fridge, flip them back over, open them and drain off the water into a jar, then spoon out the thick cream that’s left behind into a bowl. Add in the aquafaba and the scraped-out seeds of the vanilla pod (adds an amazing flavour!) and whip using an electric whisk until stiff peaks begin to form. At this point, you can either spoon or pipe the cream onto the top of the pie, grate some chocolate over the top and then pop it back in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow it to properly solidify. Then, enjoy! Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to a week, although there probably won’t be any…

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, and I just wanted to say thank you again to Beth for letting me write on her blog! If you do have a go at making this then don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @fruitsandroutes.

It is once again nearing exam season and I’m always on the look out for exciting things to make for dinner/dessert to get me through the piles of revision I’m attempting to sift through. This recipe was inspired by my apple corer. For some reason it was in the cupboard rather than in the cutlery draw and I picked it up whilst making dinner….and that’s when this funky dessert idea was born.

Do you love apples? And pancakes? This could just be what you’re looking for to brighten up your evening. This super-simple pancake recipe can be made in less than 5 minutes and is absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored and sliced horizontally

1 egg

1 scoop protein powder

2 tbsp coconut flour

1 tsp chia seeds

1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp coconut oil

Toppings (I used Manuka Honey)

Method:

Beat the egg in a bowl and add in the protein powder, coconut flour and chia seeds. Add the milk until you get a thick consistency.

Heat a medium sized frying pan and add the coconut oil.

Dip the apple slices in the pancake mix and place in the flying pan to cook for around 90 seconds on each side, depending on what heat you’ve got the pan on.

Brace yourself**. Last weekend I tried Eggs Florentine for the first time [insert shocked emoji here*]. I’m very much a creature of habit and when choosing brunch I naturally always go for toast with poached eggs and either avocado or fried mushrooms.

I was visiting Sheffield for the first time and Hannah, a lady very educated in lovely local coffee shops and brunch spots, suggested we ate at Made By Jonty for lunch. This quaint little café had the perfect all-day brunch menu, and if that didn’t tempt you, there was an array of delicious cakes and bakes on display by the counter. The café was able to serve any of the brunch items on gluten free toast if you made the waiters aware that you were a Coeliac. To this day I’m not sure what made me go for Eggs Florentine…after all avocado was on the menu…but anyhow, it changed me.

The poached eggs were perfect. The hollandaise sauce was en pointe. Even the presentation was immaculate. It was demolished in a matter of minutes. How have I lived for nearly 20 years and never had this…it continues to amaze me.

Anyhow now having only ever had hollandaise sauce once, and that having been made for me, I wanted to try and make some at home in an attempt to recreate this dish. This recipe for Eggs Florentine is made using a ‘light’ hollandaise sauce and tastes divine.

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread, toasted

spinach, to serve

2 eggs and 2 yolks

1 tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup greek yoghurt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp mustard

sprinkle of salt

Method:

Start by placing the 2 yolks, greek yoghurt, melted butter, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, mustard and salt in a dish and stir until well combined.

Place over a bain-marie and stir every now and then as it starts to thicken for 10 or so minutes until it is of the desired consistency.

Whilst the hollandaise sauce is heating, poach two eggs in boiling water and toast the bread.

Layer spinach onto the toast and place the poached eggs on top. Add the hollandaise sauce to the top and enjoy hot!

It’s that time of year when people realise their frying pans are far too heavy, their flipping skills are poor and Nutella is actually very sickly. If you’re anything like me with absolutely no pancake flipping skills what-so-ever then you might appreciate this recipe for some thicker American-style pancakes.

These completely gluten free pancakes have the texture of a fluffy Victoria Sponge cake. The coconut sugar adds a subtle sweet flavour but if you’re making savoury ones, you can leave this out.

Ingredients:

1 egg, whisked

1 banana, mashed

1 tbsp gluten free oats, ground (I used Deliciously Alchemy)

1 tbsp coconut sugar (I used The Groovy Food Company)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp coconut oil (I used Lucy Bee)

Dash of milk

Method:

Whisk the egg in bowl and combine with the mashed banana.

Mix the oats, coconut sugar and baking powder in a bowl and add to the wet mixture. Stir until well combined (you could also place in a blender to make sure you remove all the lumps!). If the mix is too thick, add some milk until it is of the desired consistency.

Place a frying pan on the hob over a medium heat and wait for the coconut oil to melt.

Pour about 1/4 of the mix slowly into the centre and cook for 1-2 minutes before flipping over (carefully!). Repeat until all the mix is used.

Whether you’re a morning person or not, I’m sure you’ll agree that every now and then you get a little tired of having the same breakfast over and over again. If you’re like me, often the days I decide to switch things up and have something different are the days I am short of time and cannot spend hours perfecting pancakes.

By providing your body with a nutritious, nutrient-dense breakfast in the morning you’ll help ensure that you keep your body fuelled for the day ahead. Here are a few ideas you can use to mix up your mornings:

Porridge topped with fresh fruit, seeds and nut butter

Simply add 3/4 of a cup of oats (I used Delicious Alchemy) with 250ml milk and a splash of water into a pan and simmer until you reach your desired consistency. Pour into a bowl and top with fresh berries, chia seeds and nut butter!

Toast with scrambled eggs, mushrooms and dwarf beans

Add a spoon of coconut oil into a frying pan and gently fry the mushrooms and beans until lightly cooked. Toast the bread and slice in half. Place the bread and vegetables on a plate and then crack 2 eggs into the frying pan. Avoiding too much stirring, cook the eggs until lightly done. Pour the eggs onto the plate and top with fresh chives.

Fluffy Protein Pancakes

For the perfect pancake recipe, check out @hannaheats_’s recipe on her website here. Fill with nut butter, banana, a cheeky spread of Nutella and seeds.

Greek yoghurt topped with Granola, frozen berries and coconut flakes

Place 200-300g of yoghurt (greek or natural) into a bowl – I often stir in a scoop of protein powder depending on how I feel. Top with frozen berries, granola, nuts, seeds and coconut flakes!

I'm Beth, a Runner, Coeliac and Freelance Blogger. If I'm not out pounding the pavements in neon lycra I'm either eating peanut butter out of the jar in my PJs or wishing I could be doing one (or both) of the two. 🥑